54 members of the House of Representatives, ALL DEMOCRATS, sent a letter to President Obama last week calling on him to pressure Israel into dropping its blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The letter was written by House members Jim McDermott of Washington and Keith Ellison of Minnesota. It was spearheaded by McDermott and Ellison, as well as by Betty McCollum and Jim Oberstar, both of Minnesota.
Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, had earlier lashed out at his fellow representatives for voting against the UN's Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of committing war crimes during last year's military response to ongoing Hamas rocket fire. McCollum has been a harsh critic and foe of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
One of the signers, James Moran of Virginia has long blamed Jews for starting wars. Several left-wing groups pushed the letter, including J Street, the Jewish anti-AIPAC lobby, and Americans for Peace Now.
Here is the full text of the letter:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama,
Thank you for your ongoing work to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for your commitment of $300 million in U.S. aid to rebuild the Gaza Strip. We write to you with great concern about the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
The people of Gaza have suffered enormously since the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt following Hamas’ coup, and particularly following Operation Cast Lead. We also sympathize deeply with the people of southern Israel who have suffered from abhorrent rocket and mortar attacks. We recognize that the Israeli government has imposed restrictions on Gaza out of a legitimate and keenly felt fear of continued terrorist action by Hamas and other militant groups. This concern must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip. Truly, fulfilling the needs of civilians in Israel and Gaza are mutually reinforcing goals.
The unabated suffering of Gazan civilians highlights the urgency of reaching a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts. The current blockade has severely impeded the ability of aid agencies to do their work to relieve suffering, and we ask that you advocate for immediate improvements for Gaza in the following areas:
Movement of people, especially students, the ill, aid workers, journalists, and those with family concerns, into and out of Gaza;
Access to clean water, including water infrastructure materials,
Access to plentiful and varied food and agricultural materials;
Access to medicine and health care products and suppliers;
Access to sanitation supplies, including sanitation infrastructure materials;
Access to construction materials for repairs and rebuilding;
Access to fuel;
Access to spare parts;
Prompt passage into and out of Gaza for commercial and agricultural goods; and
Publication and review of the list of items prohibited to the people of Gaza.
Winter is arriving and the needs of the people grow ever more pressing. For example, the ban on building materials is preventing the reconstruction of thousands of innocent families’ damaged homes. There is also a concern that unrepaired sewage treatment plants will overflow and damage surrounding property and water resources.
Despite ad hoc easing of the blockade, there has been no significant improvement in the quantity and scope of goods allowed into Gaza. Both the number of trucks entering Gaza per month and the number of days the crossings have been open have declined since March. This crisis has devastated livelihoods, entrenched a poverty rate of over 70%, increased dependence on erratic international aid, allowed the deterioration of public infrastructure, and led to the marked decline of the accessibility of essential services.
The humanitarian and political consequences of a continued near-blockade would be disastrous. Easing the blockade on Gaza will not only improve the conditions on the ground for Gaza’s civilian population, but will also undermine the tunnel economy which has strengthened Hamas. Under current conditions, our aid remains little more than an unrealized pledge. Most importantly, lifting these restrictions will give civilians in Gaza a tangible sense that diplomacy can be an effective tool for bettering their conditions.
Your Administration’s overarching Middle East peace efforts will benefit Israel, the Palestinians, and the entire region. The people of Gaza, along with all the peoples of the region, must see that the United States is dedicated to addressing the legitimate security needs of the State of Israel and to ensuring that the legitimate needs of the Palestinian population are met.
Sincerely,
Members of Congress
Arizona
Raul Grijalva
California
Lois Capps
Sam Farr
Bob Filner
Barbara Lee
Loretta Sanchez
Pete Stark
Michael Honda
Lynn Woolsey
Jackie Speier
Diane Watson
George Miller
Connecticut
Jim Himes
Indiana
Andre Carson
Iowa
Bruce Braley
Kentucky
John Yarmuth
Maryland
Elijah Cummings
Donna Edwards
Massachusetts
Michael Capuano
William Delahunt
Jim McGovern
John Tierney
John Olver
Stephen Lynch
Michigan
John Conyers
John Dingell
Carolyn Kilpatrick
Minnesota
Keith Ellison
Betty McCollum
James Oberstar
New Jersey
Donald Payne
Rush Holt
Bill Pascrell
New York
Yvette Clarke
Maurice Hinchey
Paul Tonko
Eric Massa
North Carolina
David Price
Ohio
Mary Jo Kilroy
Marcy Kaptur
Oregon
Earl Blumenauer
Peter DeFazio
Pennsylvania
Chaka Fattah
Joe Sestak
Vermont
Peter Welch
Virginia
Jim Moran
Glenn Nye
Washington
Jim McDermott
Adam Smith
Jay Inslee
Brian Baird
West Virginia
Nick Rahall
Wisconsin
Tammy Baldwin
Gwen Moore
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